Barking mad over web ticket rumpus

Lucia Frankitt and Florina Stan with their rescue dogs and tickets.

David Sharman

AS a dog lover Lucia Frankitt couldn’t wait to take up her front row seat for world famous canine trainer Cesar Millan’s one man show.

But instead she has found herself embroiled in a row with an online ticketing company, who she claims have mis-sold her cheap tickets at the back of the hall – despite taking more than £300 of her money.

Lucia, of Lytham Road, South Shore, had bought the front row tickets, Row A, for the show at Sheffield City Hall as a birthday present for her 28-year-old daughter Emma.

But although £325.33 has been taken from her account she has received tickets on row W priced at £39.50 each.

Lucia said: “She’s madly into dogs and animals and it was for her birthday. I’m more than disappointed, I’m angry. It’s like me selling you a Mercedes and then turning up with a Ford Fiesta.”

The website Lucia bought the tickets from, Seatwave, claims Lucia is mistaken about what she ordered.

A spokeswoman for Seatwave said: “She has been provided with the tickets that she bought.”

Ticket resale for concerts and shows is not illegal, but trading standards has warned sellers and buyers alike to be wary.

A spokesman for Blackpool Council’s trading standards said: “You should make sure you know where the seats are located to avoid disappointment on the night. Always source tickets from legitimate sites such as TicketMaster and their affiliated sites for ticket resale - preferably based in the UK with an address and a landline telephone number.

“Be very wary of buying tickets for concerts at auction sites such as e-bay.

“All too often these are scams and you’ll never receive your tickets. And when buying tickets online, make sure the payment page is encrypted - look out for the “padlock” at the bottom of the screen and use of the letters ‘https’ in the browser window.”

For more information contact trading standards on (01253) 478375.

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